


With Dusty Eyes

by Windona



Series: Sandswept [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: AU, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-05-16 01:05:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5807329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windona/pseuds/Windona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Owen Lars' opinions on the Jedi came from his interactions with the Skywalkers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	With Dusty Eyes

When his father had married Shmi, Owen had been delighted. He had been skeptical of their courtship at first, but Shmi had proven to be a caring and strong hearted woman. Even Beru was smitten with her, and his step mother soon struck up a motherly relationship with his girlfriend. Her strong and steady presence soon wove its way into the household, like another pillar. She gave advice when his father was unable to, and soon, Owen found that when he thought of his mother, Shmi popped into his mind first.

Shmi told him and Beru stories- stories of Ekkreth, Ar-Amu, and all the other legendary figures of her people. She also told them stories of her son, a sweet and caring child with no father. She talked about her little Anakin so often that it felt like Owen had grown up with him in part.

It made the first time he met the boy- no, young man- feel like a reunion. Owen had been battling with his grief, and shook his brother’s hand while carefully telling Anakin what had happened. His brother had taken it in, and gone to look for his mother. Owen supposed that if he had special training, he might have gone alone as well. As it stood, he had been lucky to survive unharmed from the last attempted rescue.

While Anakin was gone, the rest of the family hosted and turned their attention to the young woman he had brought. Padme had kind eyes, and Owen could see why his brother liked her.

The questions had been gentle, fragile, but they had asked about the Jedi and about Anakin. Padme had explained how the Jedi operated; how they apparently had these ‘no attachment’ rules, how Anakin had been denied to check up on his mother for all those years. Padme didn’t say it in those words, but Owen could feel what it meant. Jedi forgot what was most important in return for their damn idealistic crusades.

Of course, Owen did not let on how he felt. It wasn’t right, when Padme was not a Jedi and was as concerned as he was. It was even less right when his brother brought back Shmi’s tortured corpse, ready for a funeral. Owen was at least glad that his mother died with a smile, even if she had died in his brother’s arms.

After burying Shmi and saying their prayers, Anakin went into the garage with all the machinery. Owen remembered Shmi’s stories about Anakin fixing droids and making a podracer, and let the man be. He gathered with Beru and his father in the kitchen, Beru making light food with shaking hands as his father silently cried again.

The meal was eaten slowly and barely, with a heavy cloud of finality over them. They had done a lot of grieving before, but now it was absolute. Owen shoved a lot of the food around on his plate before saying, “I want to ask Anakin to stay here.”

Cliegg and Beru both looked at him in surprise, waiting for him to go on.

“Anakin’s family, even if he’s never lived here before. We can get through this together, and he can have a life and a wife here. He’s good with machines, and wouldn’t be a hindrance.”

Beru sighed. “Do you really think a Jedi who’s traveled the galaxy would be content to just live right here?”

“We’re happy here. All you need in life is a way to get by, and family that you care for,” Owen said, frowning.

Cliegg sighed. “It couldn’t hurt. Ask him if he wants to stay. Don’t force him, though; it’s a rough time for everyone.”

Owen nodded, and stood up, putting his plate away in the kitchen. He went over to the garage, and found a few things scattered but far more things fixed. His brother had a least saved him some money and trips to Anchorhead.

Sighing at the empty room, Owen went up and out, looking for their ship only to find it gone. He cursed, and told Beru and his father that their guests had left. While it was pretty rude to leave without saying good-bye, Owen supposed they had some emergency to take care of.

He shook away his disappointment, and went back to focus on his family. His father deteriorated more and more, dying a few weeks later. Not long after that, Owen married Beru, and they took care of the farm together. The occasional gossip of Jedi fighting a war floated its way down, but the people of Tatooine did not heed it much attention. The Republic and Separatists did not interact much with Hutt Space, so there was no reason to warrant any real interest or gossip, even if there were rumors about the Republic sending a Jedi to negotiate with Jabba. No names of famous generals ever passed the lips of the people out here.

News of the Republic turning into the Empire made a bit of a ripple. Owen listened closely, as it had been announced that Jedi were traitors to the very government they had given their lives for. Owen had felt his heart clench, and prayed.

A few days after the news initially hit, Owen had heard a space ship land near his house. He went up with Beru, blaster rifle nearby. Coming down the ramp was a heavily pregnant Padme, a bearded man he had never met, and his brother with a haunted and worn look in his eyes. Owen had rushed up, helping to support his brother and walk him down the steps, as Beru helped Padme. The bearded man followed, with a protocol droid and an astromech in tow.

Owen sat Anakin down in the family room, and offered the man some blue milk to give him something to drink while Beru began making tzai. Padme sat down with a lightness and grace few pregnant women had, while the bearded man stood. Owen sighed, seeing everyone settled, and said, “I take it this isn’t a purely social visit.”

The bearded man shook his head. “No, it is not. The Empire is hunting us down, and Padme thought that this would be the best place to bring Anakin. I agree.”

Owen nodded, looking over at Padme and giving her a reassuring look. “Alright. And you are?”

“Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master.”

Owen nodded, not letting the flare of anger seep out. “I see. So, you’re being hunted down for being Jedi? How do you know you won’t be tracked?”

Padme gulped, and said, “A… good friend arranged to fake my death. According to the Empire, my shuttle, and Anakin and Obi-Wan with it, were blown to bits a few days ago. But that means I can’t go home or contact my family, since that would tip off the Empire.”

Owen took this in. It was a risk, but Anakin was family. So he asked, “You married Anakin?”

Padme nodded, and reached over to Anakin’s hand, grabbing it. “Yes, shortly after we left here.”

Owen noticed how Anakin leaned in to Padme’s touch, and how Obi-Wan carefully looked away. He saw Padme’s concern brimming in her eyes, and Anakin reach out towards her gently.

“We have Shmi and dad’s old room,” Owen said. “Anakin, you and Padme can stay here for as long as you like. Obi-Wan-“

“I would like to find a place for myself, if that’s alright,” the man said, looking Owen in the eyes and not at Anakin and Padme.

Owen nodded, perfectly happy with the arrangement. “You can stay here for the night before setting out. I would like some answers.”

Later that night, Owen got them. Apparently Anakin had trusted an old man named Palpatine to be a mentor, and it turned out all the man was teaching the boy to be was his future slave. Anakin and Padme had been married, but keeping it secret, and Anakin had started having nightmares about his wife dying in childbirth- a fate not uncommon in the Outer Rim. And when he went to a Jedi for advice, they told him to 'rejoice'.

Owen had assured Anakin that they would ask the Darklighters to borrow their medical droid- needed for old Sanna Darklighter’s chronic pain- and do everything to make sure Padme was safe. Owen swore he would protect his little niece or nephew, and even if everything went wrong, he had family.

Obi-Wan’s awkwardness at these declarations did not go unnoticed.

Finally, everyone went to sleep. When Owen woke up, Obi-Wan was gone. The process of helping his brother heal, however, had just begun.

Beru would repeat the stories Shmi taught her, and sing in Shmi and Anakin’s native tongue. Padme would let him feel her stomach, and ask him about names and clothes and how they would ensure that whoever was right they would have proper clothes for their child. Owen gave Anakin Shmi’s old journal, and talked to him while they were working on vaporators and other machinery for the farm. (Some practical part of Owen was glad that Anakin was able to work despite his state- suddenly supporting a whole extra family was going to tax the farm rather rapidly, but Anakin made it sustainable.) Even Ob-Wan, now calling himself Ben, would stop by. Yet Ben’s visits would sometimes end in frustration and make Anakin even worse.

After a month of this pattern, Padme’s water broke. The local midwife was called, and Anakin let Padme hold his hand in a death grip. Anakin wiped her forehead, and helped with the birth thanks to knowledge his mother passed on to him long ago. The farm was a race, with cloth and cleaning instruments being passed around.

Finally, after the surprise of there being twins, Padme and Anakin looked at each other and named them. Anakin was grinning for the first time, and Padme matched it even with her exhaustion.

Later that day, Obi-Wan came. He said he wanted to congratulate the couple. Owen didn’t even let him in the door.

“Owen, I just want to give Anakin and Padme my blessings,” he said, confused but with that damn cheerful spark.

Owen crossed his arms. “Blessings? Like you gave their marriage?”

“I never knew about their marriage until Empire Day,” Ben said, taken back.

“Oh, don’t give me that. You haven’t approved of it since you knew about it, anyone can see it.” Owen huffed. “And you say you’re trying to help Anakin, but every time you try you talk about your damn Order and end up leaving him worse than before. But that shouldn’t be much of a surprise; your Order is the reason he’s in this state in the first place.”

Ben’s eyes grew large, and he looked as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “No, we did our best to help Anakin, it was Palpatine who manipulated him.”

“And who’s fault is that? You took Shmi’s child and came back with him broken. Now, I’m more than happy to help my brother find his feet again. But I’ve listened to what happened, and know this- I’m not letting any more old wizards mess with the heads of any Skywalkers. Whether that means my brother, or my brother’s offspring. I don’t want to see you again.”

Ben’s shoulders slumped, and the man walked off. Owen knew that if Anakin wanted to talk to the man, he couldn’t stop him. But Owen would be damned if he let the Jedi have their way with the Skywalkers ever again.

**Author's Note:**

> The wonderful Fialleril's Tatooine headcanons are in this fic, scattered about. Most of this is what I think Owen felt about the Jedi, although it does detour into AU land. This is a prequel to 'In The Dragon's Lair'


End file.
